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the multi agent cooperation, e.g. FA/C model (Leeser, 1991), the Joint Intention
Framework (Levesque, 1990) and share plan (Grosz, 1996).The later method has
bigger application scope. Each theory is only adapted to some specific
coordination environments. Once the environment changes, for example, the
number of agent, type and interaction relationship disagree with theory, the
cooperation based on this theory lost its superiority. The later approach focuses
on the planning and solution of problems and assumes the process of
coordination different. Some agents find the cooperative partners firstly and then
generate the plans. Some may generate plan for the problem first and then take
cooperative actions. Some may generate the partial global planning; PGP to
regulate its actions for the cooperative goals (Lesser, 1991).The later two
cooperative methods seems relaxed and lack the necessary disposal mechanism.
They require the shared cooperative plan between agents. The first approach has
bigger uncertainty and the cooperative plans are influenced by the cooperative
team.
In multi-agent system, agent is autonomic. The knowledge, desire, intension
and behavior of agents are different. To coordinate the cooperative work is the
necessary condition for problem solution and keeping the efficiency. Many
researches on organization theory, politics, sociology, social psychology,
anthropology, jurisprudence and economics are applied in multi agent system.
Multi-agent coordination is the process that multi agent interact with each other
for the consistent work way. Coordination can avoid the deadlock and livelock of
multi agents. Deadlock means multi-agent can not take the next action; the
livelock is the state that multi-agent consecutive work but there is no result.
There are many coordination methods:
Organizational Structuring
Contracting
Multi-agent Planning
Negotiation
From the point of social psychology, multi agent cooperation has following
types:
(1) Cooperation: put its own interest at the second place
(2) Selfish: put the cooperation at the second place
(3) Completely selfish: do not consider any cooperation
(4) Completely cooperation: do not consider its own interest
(5) The hybrid of cooperation and selfish
